KNI Newsletter March Issue

Jasmines are at full bloom in this season every year by our school's entrance gate. They are covered with small pale pink flowers, and deliver such sweet smell to us when we walk through the gate.
Our newly added Sakura tree right by the Jasmine also shows many buds this year. The tree was a gift to us from last year's graduates. Several soft pink flowers are already blooming, though it's weeks earlier than sakura season in Japan. We are happy to feel that spring has arrived here.
Our school's spring break is scheduled at the end of this month. I hope everyone will be able to enjoy the spring season wherever you will be.

We are happy to announce that we sent the donation to Shishiori Elementary School in Kesennuma City in Miyagi prefecture. We have been supporting the school for its recovery from the Great Tohoku Earthquake.
We were able to send them a total of $1000. Breakdown of the total is $475 from donation at last year's Bazaar, $238 from Sakura Class Calendar sale, and the rest from September - December birthday parties. Thank you very much for your continuous support. We received a thank you letter from the school, which says that they are still struck by flashbacks even though they almost forget about the devastating event in their daily lives. They appreciate many people continue to think of them and cheer for them to strive.

"When I find the children having some conflicts at the playground after school, I hesitate to scold other children that are not my own. I wonder what I am supposed to do," asked some parents during the parent-teacher conferences
and class meetings.
I bet many of you must have experienced this similar situation.
Here's my suggestion. "Please scold all of the children equally including my own," once said a master of a sumo stable on a TV interview. According to him, it used to be a common practice among people in a neighborhood to watch out for each other's children, but it is not anymore these days.
I agree with his point. Please, feel free to give all of the children a warning if they did something that's worth being corrected. All of those who play at our playground are children of "Kodomo no Ie". We are a family who come to the same school. Please know it's perfectly ok to scold all children equally.
It might be difficult to change at first, but if everyone shares the same understanding, it will be easier for each of us to act without hesitation. Why don't all of us help raise our precious children together?! I would love all of the parents to be part of the growth of all of our children. Thank you very much."